Friday, April 5, 2013
Budget presented to council this week reflects a deficit of $956,000 for fiscal year 2013-14 and $2 million for 2014-15.
Ferndale officials are hoping to avoid laying off firefighters as the city moves forward with budgeting for fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15. The city prepared a budget using an expected decline in taxable values of one percent, but final numbers from the county released March 20 show a total revenue decline of six percent in taxable value. City staff also updated projections for fiscal year 2014-15 to reflect a three percent loss rather than the potential for an increase. Because of the changes, the budget presented to council this week had a deficit of $956,000 for fiscal year 2014 and $2 million for 2015. The Ferndale Fire Department could be one of the areas affected, as a grant has paid for four of the city's firefighters for the past…
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Special council meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 2 at Ferndale City Hall.
Ferndale City Council will meet for a special budget meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 2 at Ferndale City Hall. The purpose of the meeting is to begin reviewing preliminary budget figures for fiscal year 2013-14 and fiscal year 2014-15. The city must have a budget approved no later than May 10, 2013. You can find the agenda, including the preliminary budget figures, here.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Parking rates will return to 50 cents per hour.
Ferndale City Council voted Monday night to return parking rates to 50 cents an hour, temporarily decrease enforcement hours and extend free parking through Monday, March 25. New parking rates were previously implemented in late January in conjunction with the rollout of the new parking pay stations, with rates up to $1 per hour for on-street parking. "After talking to business owners and residents I think we need to take a step back and re-evaluate the revenues, what we're going to use the revenues for, what does the community value and what we want to invest in," Ferndale Mayor Pro Tem Melanie Piana said during the meeting. The Ferndale Downtown Development Authority announced last week that it would recommend to council a rollback of …
Get ready for the week ahead in Ferndale with these five things to know.
Ferndale City Council will meet at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 11 at Ferndale City Hall. Included on council's agenda is a presentation on the new parking system. Council voted Feb. 25 to order more pay stations and extend free parking through March 11 so the city could work to address problems with the system. Last week, the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority announced they will recommend that council roll back parking rates and enforcement hours. Also included on the agenda is a public hearing for a small wine maker license, appointments to the DDA, consideration of an "Earth Hour," an ordinance on alcohol in public places and more. Find the full agenda here. Tickets are still available for the Ides of March, a fundraiser for the …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
The business has provided dinner for election inspectors on Election Day since 2008.
Ferndale City Council adopted a resolution of appreciation on Monday night for Buffalo Wild Wings, which has been providing the city's election inspectors with dinner on Election Day since 2008. Ferndale City Clerk Cherilynn Tallman thanked the business and said it exemplifies the "spirit of Ferndale." Here is the text of the resolution adopted Monday night: Mayor David Coulter, on behalf of the Ferndale City Council, extends the City’s heartfelt appreciation to Buffalo Wild Wings for their generosity in serving the Ferndale Community. Since 2008 Buffalo Wild Wings, under the guidance of Manager Dean Miles, has donated dinner for Ferndale’s election inspectors and officials on Election Day. Over the course of eleven elections BW3 has …
Monday, February 25, 2013
City Council approved an extension of free parking through March 11.
Parking will be free in downtown Ferndale for two more weeks while the city works to improve the new parking system. Ferndale City Council on Monday night approved the extension of free parking through March 11 and approved the purchase of 12 additional parking pay stations. City management recommended the extra pay stations after using data from the new system to study a seven-day period of usage. During that time, the pay stations had 15,000 transactions - 50 percent coming from the Troy and Withington parking lots. "That right there lets you know that clearly we have an issue with the amount of pay stations that we have in those two lots in particular," said Ferndale City Manager April Lynch, pointing out that a quarter of the machines …
Monday, February 18, 2013
Mayor says parking rates are worth revisiting.
Ferndale city officials are responding to a growing wave of negative feedback after new parking rates and pay stations were implemented beginning late last month. City officials say feedback is being received at City Hall, the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority and on the Ferndale Park Plus web site. Residents have also been sharing their views on Patch, and a "Lower Ferndale's Parking Rates" Facebook group started last week that now has more than 450 "likes." "We knew that there was going to be some roll-out issues but frankly it's been more than we anticipated," Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter said on Thursday. "Our staff is working very hard to address everybody's concerns." The mayor also submitted this letter to the editor on Sunday…
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Michigan Land Bank Authority is in the process of finalizing who they will negotiate with for the sale of the state fairgrounds property.
Ferndale City Council approved a letter on Monday night asking the Michigan Land Bank Authority to consider the city, other stakeholders and ongoing transit efforts when moving forward with plans to sell the Michigan State Fairgrounds. The letter was drafted in response to concerns expressed by City Council and the community regarding the proposed sale of the property, located at Eight Mile and Woodward Avenue. The Michigan Land Bank Authority is currently in the process of finalizing who they will negotiate with for the sale of the property, and much discussion and concern has ensued over the ultimate development of the site, according to the city. "This is obviously a very important piece of property for the city of Ferndale because it …
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Council OKs purchase of three Dodge Chargers, two Ford Explorers at total cost of $124,910.29.
Ferndale City Council approved the purchase of five new police vehicles during their regular meeting Monday night. The city will purchase three new Dodge Chargers and two Ford Explorers for the Ferndale Police Department at a total cost of $124,910.29. The department has used the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor model as its patrol vehicle for the past 10 years, however Ford Motor Company has discontinued that model, Ferndale Police Chief Tim Collins said during the meeting. Ferndale Police Sgt. Baron Brown was assigned to make the recommendation on the department's next vehicles and spent months researching the models, Collins said, including arranging for all of the models being considered to be inspected and driven by Ferndale police …
City officials say solutions are in the works and urge residents to keep the feedback coming.
The city is aware of the problems residents and visitors are having with Ferndale's new pay stations and are working on getting them resolved, city officials said Monday night. Ferndale City Manager April Lynch and Downtown Development Authority executive director Cristina Sheppard-Decius addressed the parking situation during Monday's City Council meeting and answered questions from council members. Ferndale rolled out new pay stations and parking rates late last month, and since then some residents have expressed frustrations about using the new system. Sheppard-Decius said the concerns being expressed most include the lack of ParkMobile accessibility, not enough lighting around pay stations and long lines waiting to use the machines. "…
Alan G. Soave
5:50 pm on Monday, April 8, 2013
My point to Scott was that a couple of years ago the Headly override Tax increase was narrowly passed by just over 50% of our voters here in Ferndale and it went to the General Fund. Had been a dedicated millage to our first responders we might not be having this discussion about lay offs in that department but we still could have a $1 million budget deficit right now and that in my opinion if … more ›